7/20/2004 09:15:00 pm -
Reported by
Shaun Lyon

uly 20, 2004 • Posted By Shaun Lyon

Today's Newsquest Media Group syndicated report features an article about Bilile Piper stepping into the "legendary Tardis". "The Swindon-born pop star-turned-actress was busy filming on the streets of Cardiff today for the new BBC series of Doctor Who. Billie, 21, is playing assistant Rose Tyler opposite the ninth doctor, Christopher Eccleston, of Shallow Grave fame. David Cartwright, spokesman for the BBC, said: 'The style will be very different to the 1970s version and we think viewers will like the new look. We're keeping everything under wraps so fans will have to wait. ... The Tardis can travel anywhere through space and time, so it could be going anywhere, including Swindon.'" (Thanks to Paul Engelberg)

"Dr Who gets Hollywood treatment" is the subject of an article in today's Media Guardian. "In a move sure to break the hearts of fans devoted to the reconstructed telephone box, tinny Daleks and wobbly sets of the original, the BBC has hired the special effects company behind Hollywood blockbuster Gladiator to digitally enhance its eagerly awaited new series of Doctor Who. The Mill, the Soho post-production house that won an Oscar for its work on Ridley Scott's epic, has been commissioned to update Doctor Who's famously creaky special effects for a new generation of viewers. The company, which also worked on the Hollywood blockbuster K19: The Widowmaker, said its remit was to 'bedazzle' younger viewers accustomed to the impressive effects featured on The Matrix and Lord of the Rings. 'Effects that were seen as ground-breaking when Dr Who first aired obviously won't cut it with today's audience," said Dave Throssell, the head of The Mill's TV department. 'It will be a tough job because it will demand feature film effects on a TV schedule.'" The article says that Doctor Who was "famous for its low production values, making a virtue out of its shoestring budget. One crew member admitted on a recent documentary about the show that he created one of the most recognisable sounds in television by scraping his door key up and down the string of a double-bass." The article also mentions the Daleks not appearing in the production. (Thanks to Paul Hayes)